Dispenser for small parts



April 1963 H. P. NELSON 3,085,718

DISPENSER FOR SMALL PARTS Filed May 5, 1961 5M1 ,flm/aw ATTOR NEYS United States Patent 3,085,718 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 3,085,718 DISPENER FOR SMALL PARTS Herbert P. Nelson, North Attleboro, Mass, assignor to The Hilsinger Corporation, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 5, 1961, Ser. No. 120,815 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-168) This invention relates to a dispenser of the type which would be used for dispensing small parts, such as optical parts, screws, nuts or bolts, terminals, and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device which may be easily actuated by hand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be easily moved around from one place to another and rest upon a horizontal support such as a table or be mounted upon a rail or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be easily loaded and easily taken apart for cleaning.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which will be effective and require substantially no mechanically moving parts and thus one which will not get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a central sectional view of the device with the gate rotated to an open position; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the two members which go to form the device.

In proceeding with this invention, I provided a base or bod-v member which may be molded or cast in most any material and which comprises a tray-like portion opening upwardly so that the dispensed articles may be easily lifted therefrom and a hopper part at a raised elevation therefrom so that the parts in the hopper may slide down into the tray, and I provide a gate telescoping into the hopper with a handle so that this gate may be easily ma nipulated such as by turning a fraction of a revolution so that one or more of the articles in the hopper may be discharged through a convenient opening leading down an inclined passage to the tray.

With reference to the drawings, designates generally the body or base member of the device which is shown as a casting or molded article having a flat undersurface 11 with a tray-like portion 12 opening upwardly from its upper surface. This tray-like portion has inolined inner sides 13 and also a bottom 14 which inclines upwardly as may best be seen in FIGURE 2. The portion beneath this bottom inclined wall 14 as at 15 is hollow to lighten the structure. Recesses 16 and 17 are provided extending laterally across the body member and opening downwardly so that the body member may be mounted upon a rail or some similar support if it is not desired to use the flat bottom 11 to rest the body member on a horizontal table or the like.

The tray-like portion is located generally at one end of the device, while at the other end of the device there is a hopper designated generally 20 and comprising a wall 21 having a cylindrical inner surface 22 and an opening 23 on its side toward the tray 12. The bottom wall 24 of this hopper 20 is inclined towards this opening 23 and follows substantially the same inclination as the bottom wall 14 of the tray, thus providing a smooth or single planar surface in which both the bottom wall of the hopper and the bottom wall of the tray are located.

A gate member designated generally 25 is shown in perspective in FIGURE 3 and comprises a wall 26 which is cylindrical on its outer surface and of a size to telescope into the cylindrical surface 22 of the hopper and slidingly fit therein and be guided thereby. The lower edge 27 of this cylindrical wall 26 is cut on a plane at an angle to the axis of the cylindrical surface which angle will be substantially the angle that the bottom wall 24 of the hopper is to the axis of the cylindrical wall 22. Thus when the wall 26 is telescoped into the hopper with this angular cut parallel to or matching the angle of inclination of the bottom wall 24 of the hopper, the opening 23 of the hopper is covered or closed to prevent the passage of any of the parts which may be in the hopper therethrough.

A cap 28 is provided over the end of the gate 25 which snugly embraces the wall 26 and provides a closure for the upper end of the gate and hopper. The engagement between the cap 28 and the outer surface of the wall 26 is such that upon turning the cap the wall will turn, and this cap is provided with a handle portion 29 such as knurling or the like so :as to provide a convenient handle therefor.

Small particles such as screws 30, one of which is shown in FIGURE 2, and a plurality of which are shown in FIGURE 1, may be loaded into the gate by lifting the gate from the body member and filling the same with the small parts. Then the gate may be inserted into the hopper 20 in a position to close the opening 23 and then as one part or more are needed, it is merely necessary to rotate the gate 25 by grasping the handle and turning the same which will cause the gate to lift until one of the small parts by reason of the pressure of the others will be forced out of the hopper sliding along the inclined surface down into the tray where it is readily accessible.

The cap may be made removable from the cylindrical gate 26 for loading through the top if desired.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device, a body member comprising a hopper having a side wall with a generally cylindrical inner surface and an opening extending through the side wall, said hopper having a bottom wall inclined toward said opening to intersect the lower edge of said opening, a gate member having a wall with a cylindrical outer surface having a sliding and telescoping fit into the hopper, the end of the gate wall terminating in a plane which has substantially the same inclination to the axis of said cylindrical surfaces as the inclination of the bottom wall of the hopper, the end of the gate wall normally resting in substantially abutting relationship with the bottom wall whereby the wall of the gate normally covers said open ing and whereby turning said gate member will cause the end of the wall thereof to act as a cam against the bottom wall and thereby raise the gate member within the hopper uncovering said opening to permit discharge of articles from said hopper.

2. In a dispensing device as in claim 1 wherein said gate member has a closure cap at its upper end.

3. In a dispensing device as in claim 1 wherein said gate member has a closure cap at its upper end, the outer surface of the cap providing a handle by which said gate member may be manually manipulated.

4. In a dispensing device, a unitary body member and hopper comprising a tray having a bottom wall and a hopper located at one side of the tray, said hopper having a side wall with a generally cylindrical inner surface and an opening extending through the side wall toward the tray, said hopper having a bottom wall inclined toward said opening to intersect the lower edge of said opening, the bottom wall of the tray being a continuation of and on a similar incline to the bottom wall of the hopper, a gate cause the end of the wall thereof to act as a cam against 10 the bottom wall and thereby raise the gate member within the hopper uncovering said opening to permit discharge of articles from said hopper.

5. In a dispensing device as in claim 4 wherein said gate member has a closure cap at its upper end.

6. In a dispensing device as in claim 4 wherein said gate member has a closure cap at its upper end the outer surface of the cap providing a handle by which said gate member may be manually manipulated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Butts Oct. 15, 1912 Washburne Oct. 12 ,1915 

1. IN A DISPENSING DEVICE, A BODY MEMBER COMPRISING A HOPPER HAVING A SIDE WALL WITH A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE AND AN OPENING EXTENDING THROUGH THE SIDE WALL, SAID HOPPER HAVING A BOTTOM WALL INCLINED TOWARD SAID OPENING TO INTERSECT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING, A GATE MEMBER HAVING A WALL WITH A CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE HAVING A SLIDING AND TELESCOPING FIT INTO THE HOPPER, THE END OF THE GATE WALL TERMINATING IN A PLANE WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME INCLINATION TO THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACES AS THE INCLINATION OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE HOPPER, THE END OF THE GATE WALL NORMALLY RESTING IN SUBSTANTIALLY ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOTTOM WALL WHEREBY THE WALL OF THE GATE NORMALLY COVERS SAID OPENING AND WHEREBY TURNING SAID GATE MEMBER WILL CAUSE THE END OF THE WALL THEREOF TO ACT AS A CAM AGAINST THE BOTTOM WALL AND THEREBY RAISE THE GATE MEMBER WITHIN THE HOPPER UNCOVERING SAID OPENING TO PERMIT DISCHARGE OF ARTICLES FROM SAID HOPPER. 